From LaBelle, Florida for Hendry and Glades County and the Lake Okeechobee region. Don Browne, editor.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Fatal Collier Crash On SR29

Dump Truck Driver Killed After Crash Into Tow Truck

IMMOKALEE, FL. -- A crash on State Road 29 one mile south of State Road 82 left one Immokalee man dead Friday night about 8:20 p.m.

47-year old Baldomero Arreguin-Enriquez and passenger Oziel Carbajal, 22, both of Immokalee were traveling in a 1991 International tow truck south on State Road 29 in the southbound lane south of the intersection of State Road 82. The truck became disabled and was improperly parked facing south and straddling the southbound lane and unpaved west shoulder when the driver exited the vehicle and walked south towards Immokalee to get assistance while leaving his passenger to stay with the vehicle.

A 2000 Ford dump truck, driven by a 71 year old man was traveling south on State Road 29 in the southbound lane and approaching the tow truck as vehicle # 2�s driver failed to recognize and react to the tow truck. The resulting impact caused both vehicles to travel in a southwesterly direction while rotating clockwise.

The dump truck was carrying a silver 1999 Pontiac Firebird on it�s slide bed and the impact caused the vehicle to fall onto the unpaved west shoulder. The tow truck came to final rest facing in a southwesterly direction on the unpaved west shoulder embedded in trees and shrubbery southwest of the initial point of impact. The dump truck came to final rest facing southwest in the unpaved west shoulder east of vehicle # 1. The dump truck driver was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Identification of the dump truck driver is pending notification of kin. Traffic on State Road 29 was shut down to allow for investigation and clean up for three hours.